RAF recruitment, has it gone a bit too far...

ivrytwr3 said:
Wow, there are some very outdated and lets be honest, quite wrong thoughts on the RAFP!
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You know what, thats a genuinely fair point in my case.

It's been a decade since I left the RAF so I'll happily admit that my biases against the RAFP are outdated by now by at least 10+ years, however they were certainly correct up when I served i.e. arrests by the RAFP (so they could charge someone) for timekeeping were still a thing when I joined up 30 years ago (alongside being arrested and kicked out for being gay which was still a thing) and back then we still had a few cells in every guardroom for drunks returning back from town etc so arrests and charges were way more common when I joined than when I left.

As a point of self-reflection, one thing I realise I've got to start keeping in mind when I talk about the RAF online is that it HAS been over 30 years since I joined and a decade since I left and yet I still talk about it as if everything when I joined way back then is still the same now, and it obviously isn't, so I've got to me more mindful that my experience and that of someone serving today is probably going to be very different. I mean it'd be like me listening to someone who joined in the 60's telling me all about what the RAF is like when I joined in the 90's which still requires some mental adjustments.

This is especially true as I'm in a job where I interact with a wide range of military enlisted/Officer folks everyday and I make a conscious effort there to be aware of the differences so I should bring that across to here too.
 
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ianh said:
You know what, thats a genuinely fair point in my case.

It's been a decade since I left the RAF so I'll happily admit that my biases against the RAFP are outdated by now by at least 10+ years, however they were certainly correct up when I served i.e. arrests by the RAFP (so they could charge someone) for timekeeping were still a thing when I joined up 30 years ago (alongside being arrested and kicked out for being gay which was still a thing) and back then we still had a few cells in every guardroom for drunks returning back from town etc so arrests and charges were way more common when I joined than when I left.
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Yes, RAFP used to charge - 252's were common to issue out.

Homosexual/Lesbian - was known as a character DEFECT!!! Would affect your clearance and lead to discharge (oo-er!)

Cells - have to properly licenced now - no money, so most Unit cells are closed.
ianh said:
As a point of self-reflection, one thing I realise I've got to start keeping in mind when I talk about the RAF online is that it HAS been over 30 years since I joined and a decade since I left and yet I still talk about it as if everything when I joined way back then is still the same now, and it obviously isn't, so I've got to me more mindful that my experience and that of someone serving today is probably going to be very different. I mean it'd be like me listening to someone who joined in the 60's telling me all about what the RAF is like when I joined in the 90's which still requires some mental adjustments.

This is especially true as I'm in a job where I interact with a wide range of military enlisted/Officer folks everyday and I make a conscious effort there to be aware of the differences so I should bring that across to here too.
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Nothing wrong with a bit of self reflection! I've got 3 years left and tbh i think i'll be pushing the button sooner.
 
They've updated the pension calculator to the new Apr 23 pay scales, there's also some other calculations been added and it gives a bigger boost than i was expecting.

Don't get too excited though! Because the new scales hadn't been added to the previous calculator, i selected a higher pay scale to reflect what we are on after the pay rise. Now the rise has been added to the calculator, i ran it with my correct pay scale and the figures have come back at around an extra £4k on the lump sum and £1k per year on the pensions for me.
 
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ivrytwr3 said:
They've updated the pension calculator to the new Apr 23 pay scales, there's also some other calculations been added as it gives a bigger boost than i was expecting.

Don't get too excited though! Because the new scales hadn't been added to the previous calculator, i selected a higher pay scale to reflect what we are on after the pay rise. Now the rise has been added to the calculator, i ran it with my correct pay scale and the figures have come back at around an extra £4k on the lump sum and £1k per year on the pensions for me.
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I honestly think the RAF pay and pension offer is bloody good now. I left at 14yrs but I envy those who are going towards a full pension. A top end Chief now with fuel money and tech pay etc gets 50-55k or so and doesn't contribute.

I like being out but defo can't knock their offer.
 
ianh said:
You know what, thats a genuinely fair point in my case.

It's been a decade since I left the RAF so I'll happily admit that my biases against the RAFP are outdated by now by at least 10+ years, however they were certainly correct up when I served i.e. arrests by the RAFP (so they could charge someone) for timekeeping were still a thing when I joined up 30 years ago (alongside being arrested and kicked out for being gay which was still a thing) and back then we still had a few cells in every guardroom for drunks returning back from town etc so arrests and charges were way more common when I joined than when I left.

As a point of self-reflection, one thing I realise I've got to start keeping in mind when I talk about the RAF online is that it HAS been over 30 years since I joined and a decade since I left and yet I still talk about it as if everything when I joined way back then is still the same now, and it obviously isn't, so I've got to me more mindful that my experience and that of someone serving today is probably going to be very different. I mean it'd be like me listening to someone who joined in the 60's telling me all about what the RAF is like when I joined in the 90's which still requires some mental adjustments.

This is especially true as I'm in a job where I interact with a wide range of military enlisted/Officer folks everyday and I make a conscious effort there to be aware of the differences so I should bring that across to here too.
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Yep, the RAF is a totally different organisation now from top to bottom from when you were once in it. Sure some things you experienced may still apply, but the majority won't.
 
ivrytwr3 said:
Don't get too excited though! Because the new scales hadn't been added to the previous calculator, i selected a higher pay scale to reflect what we are on after the pay rise. Now the rise has been added to the calculator, i ran it with my correct pay scale and the figures have come back at around an extra £4k on the lump sum and £1k per year on the pensions for me.
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For those on "techie pay", will the rumoured large percentage increase in "tech pay", currently being haggled over at the treasury, make a large enough difference for those who've already decided to leave over the next few years?

From those that I speak to daily (<200 folks), there seems to be roughly two groups - those that are leaving/want to leave and will still do so anyway, and those that are staying anyway even without a pay boost - which kind of makes it feel like the increase isn't really going to do the job they expect, well based on that very small sample group although TBF my sample size is so small that it's probably worthless TBF :D

One thing thats very surprising to me, but again based on a very small sample group (<200 folks) is the surprisingly high (to me) number of them who are at 2-5 years in and yet are already looking to leave before they hit the 9 year point, and that used to be almost unheard of just a decade ago. Is anyone else seeing that sort of thing?
 
Seeing it all the time from IT bods - those doing cyber protection stuff as oppose to legacy ihub tasks. Every one of my team has either promoted, gone to GCHQ or gone onto civvy st armed with their quals and experience. I think i'm about to lose all my (3) AS1's to promotion - great for them, but i'm back to square one again :) Those in non-cyber roles are ****** off with the RAF, but still collecting a wage.

Had one girl who was phenomenal. Put her forward under a talent marker and she picked up AS - Cpl in 2 years! She still banged out and at 21 year old she is earning £70k+, maybe more.

This Air C2 thing is a bag of ********, I'm only still in because i love seeing the young lads/lasses getting these opportunities. I'm just collecting my wage/pension for the next few years - supermarket delivery driver etc is next on the cards for me :)
 
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ianh said:
For those on "techie pay", will the rumoured large percentage increase in "tech pay", currently being haggled over at the treasury, make a large enough difference for those who've already decided to leave over the next few years?

From those that I speak to daily (<200 folks), there seems to be roughly two groups - those that are leaving/want to leave and will still do so anyway, and those that are staying anyway even without a pay boost - which kind of makes it feel like the increase isn't really going to do the job they expect, well based on that very small sample group although TBF my sample size is so small that it's probably worthless TBF :D

One thing thats very surprising to me, but again based on a very small sample group (<200 folks) is the surprisingly high (to me) number of them who are at 2-5 years in and yet are already looking to leave before they hit the 9 year point, and that used to be almost unheard of just a decade ago. Is anyone else seeing that sort of thing?
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I think it’s been known for decades that money generally isn’t a motivator. If you don’t like something about your job then giving you significantly more money won’t make you enjoy it more. You’ll just go home from your unhappy job to a bigger, nicer, house. You’ll drive to and from your unhappy job in a nicer car and you might go on nicer holidays away from your unhappy job but you’ll still be unhappy in your job and after a few extra months of unhappiness, you’ll start looking at something else and leave anyway. That’s why you should (generally) never take a counter-offer after you’ve resigned.
 
Anyone else read the powerpoint slides from the recent Engineering WO's group meet regarding workforce retention - BIG OOF!!!! :eek:

The numbers of supervisors that are quitting/leaving in the techie trades is absolutely shocking, and the fixes look to be are far too little too late with the usual "these things take time and money to sort" excuses being given by those who allowed it to end up so bad in the first place. If the next government cuts military spending I'll be genuinely worried about the future of the RAF, because whilst its lovely to have nice shiny new things 10 years from now, by then there'll be no-one left to fly/fix them looking at the numbers being presented.
 
ivrytwr3 said:
They've updated the pension calculator to the new Apr 23 pay scales, there's also some other calculations been added and it gives a bigger boost than i was expecting.

Don't get too excited though! Because the new scales hadn't been added to the previous calculator, i selected a higher pay scale to reflect what we are on after the pay rise. Now the rise has been added to the calculator, i ran it with my correct pay scale and the figures have come back at around an extra £4k on the lump sum and £1k per year on the pensions for me.
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Same for me - still not enough to live on but that's my fault for not attempting to make a minimum of Squadron Leader... :D
 
ianh said:
Anyone else read the powerpoint slides from the recent Engineering WO's group meet regarding workforce retention - BIG OOF!!!! :eek:

The numbers of supervisors that are quitting/leaving in the techie trades is absolutely shocking, and the fixes look to be are far too little too late with the usual "these things take time and money to sort" excuses being given by those who allowed it to end up so bad in the first place. If the next government cuts military spending I'll be genuinely worried about the future of the RAF, because whilst its lovely to have nice shiny new things 10 years from now, by then there'll be no-one left to fly/fix them looking at the numbers being presented.
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Yeah but we will all get working heating and hot water by 2040, because Astra fixes all.
 
So it would appear someone decided to rearrange the Xmas sign outside Honington Sgt mess


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Apparently............

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In a "small world" kind of way, Rich Knighton, the new CAS, is my old SENGO (engineering boss) from my time on Harriers in the late 90's I found out. I haven't seen any "visible" changes in RAF policy regarding recruitment but there's been a lot of behind the scenes reshuffling to remove unwanted "bureaucracy" from the day to day workings of the RAF and Project Astra 2040 has had a complete rethink into something aimed at immediate fixes rather than long term "RAF 2040" desires.

Time will tell if Knighton really wants to (or can) undo a lot of the harm Wigston did but I do like his emphasis on "we're here to fight wars, not paperwork" mentality, even if he uses the very cringey US "war fighter" terminology a bit heavily for my liking :D
 
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